It is strange to look forward to Sunday Night other then that my kids usually go to be early, but having Jane Austen films on each week is something I am really enjoying. Last nights film, Northanger Abbey was very well done. I thought the actors were great in their roles. They each seemed to fit the image of that character I had formed when reading the book. Catherine was sufficiently innocent and Henry was the teasing, friendly, and gentlemanly without making him a dandy like they did in that older film.
The movie did seem to fly through the story rather quickly. But that may be due to 30 min cut from this showing by PBS. I know I am going to have to netflix the DVD of it because there was a bunch of scenes I have seen online that weren't included in last night's broadcast.
I saw an interview online with Andrew Davies, the screenwriter. He spoke about how horrid and racey the novels are that Catherine is reading. In the film they voice over some of the text for these books while they show Catherine reading and dreaming about the stories, and wow... they are rather shocking. I didn't really mind these additions to the story but I didn't love the Isabella Thorpe story told so blatently. In the novel it is left unsaid and you know what happens without having to see it. I would have appreciated if it had stayed that way.
But overall. It was a good production. I enjoyed it and look forward to watching it again.
I haven't read many good reviews about Mansfield Park which is going to be playing next week. From the pictures and clips I have seen I will still have to wait to see Mansfield Park done well. It is my least favorite Jane Austen novel. But I will still be here next Sunday night watching it.
2 comments:
I'm checking my blockbuster online right now to see if they have it. The only film adaptaion of Mansfield park that I saw had some awful scenes that I really wish I hadn't seen. I hope this one won't be so horribly dark. Plus the ending was much to simplified and lacking in any emotion.
I turned off Masterpiece after an hour because I thought the production was not done well. After reading your critique, I will have to go back and view it again (I recorded it) with less critical eyes, perhaps. Those gothic novels of the time were really like the soap operas of today. You can tell that this novel was Jane Austen's first. She improved greatly after this unpublished effort.
Post a Comment